Is It Fair That Bigg Boss Runner-Up Hina Khan Was Paid More Than Winner Shilpa Shinde?

It has been days since the reality TV show Bigg Boss concluded and we are still flooded with updates about the contestants. Just when the audience was coming to terms with the win that sparked huge debates on social media, it has been revealed that the winner of the show, Shilpa Shinde, lost to runner-up Hina Khan in another fashion.

In spite of the big win, Shilpa won less money than Hina, who has reportedly won a whopping Rs 46 lakhs more. According to a report published by Financial Express, Hina Khan took home a staggering Rs 1.75 crore from Bigg Boss while Shilpa Shinde managed to get Rs 1.29 crore.

How did this work? Let's break it down for you.

Hina's contract stated that she would receive Rs 1.25 crore for the first 10 weeks, and additionally, get Rs 50 lakh for the last 5 weeks — bringing her grand total to Rs 1.75 crore.

On the other hand, Shilpa's Bigg Boss 11 contract earned her Rs 6 lakh per week for the first 10 weeks and Rs 5 lakh per week, for the remaining 5 weeks. Add to this the Rs 44 lakh she bagged as prize money for winning the show, and that brings Shilpa's grand total to Rs 1.29 crore.

Was it Hina Khan's popularity that influenced the decision to give her a larger pay cheque, or is there more to this than what meets the eye? Your guess is as good as ours!